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Week 11

This weeks reading ”The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction” discusses more about the user than the system the user is communicating with. The reading begins by discussing the perceptual system, the motor system, and the cognitive system. All of these systems are in sync and work together as one machine. The perceptual model can be viewed as an input, and the motor system can be viewed as an output. The Cognitive system is what connects the perceptual and motor system. The reading also discusses how memory works, and also the divisions of the memory system and how individuals are able to transfer information from the short-term memory to the long-term memory. The two best ways to transfer information from the short to long-term memory is to either use repetition, or to connect the piece of information an individual wants to remember to another piece of information that already exists in the long-term memory. For example, I would easily remember a new persons name if it was the same name as my mother because my mothers name is already located in my long-term memory.

The Reading also discusses interference vs. decay. Both interference and decay are ways that individuals can loose information from their memory. Interference is when a thought or idea blocks an individual’s pre-existing thought. This stops the individual from remembering the blocked piece of information. Decay is the lose of information over time. In other words, if you don’t use it, you loose it.